COMMENTS ON REGIONAL PLAN GOA 2021

Dr F M Nadaf in his observations on the RP 2021 plan, which has been out for public perusal stated that the authorities are patting their own backs by claiming that they have made everybody happy by notifying RP 2021. Though the plan has a few positive points, in reality all is not well with the plan, he said.

The State Level Committee on Regional Plan affirms that till date, certain departments have submitted incomplete data while others have not responded at all and the RP Department was left helpless for the want of accurate data. The committee is of the opinion that poor data base means poor planning. The simple question that needs to be asked is what is the authenticity of RP-2021 in the absence of accurate data?
On the basis of guidelines adopted, Dr Nadaf said that it is clear that SLC has extensively used Google Images for corrections and identification of various features. How can such a sensitive document be prepared by using Google? India is a global leader in the field of Remote Sensing. ISRO has launched special satellites for cartographic work, he said, and further noted that the state of Goa also has a Remote Sensing Department. The SLC should have used this latest technology for making surface utilisation plans instead of simply using Google Images.
Dr Nadaf further pointed out that Surface utilisation Plan of Canacona has a number of grave errors. About 9, 80,000 square metres of additional land is added to the total geographical area of Canacona taluka. From where is this land brought? As per RP 2001, Canacona covers 35107 hectares of land whereas RP 2021 claims the total geographical area as 35205 hectares.

Fortunately, High Tide Lines and No Development Zones are shown on the plans. But such a provision is not made along the rivers. According to CRZ, along the tidal rivers No Development Zone is 100 meters or equal to the width of the river, he states.
RP Plan for Canacona shows concentration of mangroves only in Poinguinnim panchayat whereas in reality, mangroves are also present in Loliem-Polem panchayat, Agonda panchayat and Canacona municipal area. These aren’t new additions by Mother Nature, he quips.

The GI (General Industries) proposed in Poinguinnim panchayat is located in an ecologically sensitive and disaster prone area. The proposed GI is situated at a distance of less than 150 meters from the Galgibaga River. Such a step would be ecologically suicidal, Dr Nadaf pointed out.

Our population growth is expected to be negative between 2001-2021. RP 2021 has proposed at least one MIZ (micro-industrial zone) in our villages. About 5 MIZ’s with a minimum area of 2, 50,000 square meters are proposed for Canacona taluka apart from GI’s. The jobs created by MIz’s will encourage further in-migration from various parts of the country. Every village is also required to provide additional land for various other purposes according to SUP (Surface Utilisation Plan). I don’t think our villages are so big to give so much of land. Then we will be forced to use land earmarked for Eco Zone I.
SLC should have proposed to expand the existing industrial estate in Canacona instead of MIZ’s with modern facilities.

Dr Nadaf said that about 8500 individuals had given positive suggestions, but it appears from the surface plans that most of the valuable suggestions are ignored. Modification in the base map of Canacona municipal area was requested in the earlier plan, but the authorities did not rectify it.

Between RP 2001 and RP 2021, there was a big vacuum. We are late by 10 years in implementing RP 2021. Dr Nadaf stated that the Planning Department must start working on RP 2050 well in advance and the next plan should be the ‘peoples plan’, he opined.
Dr Sangam Kurade, an industrialist while talking on the RP 2021 said that industrialisation for promoting employment in Canacona is a must, so while framing and finalising the policy, the government should have taken the locals into confidence. As far as industrialisation is concerned, no opinion of the local industries has been taken and hence the policy becomes haphazard and not fully people-oriented, he confirms.
Micro-industries are a good idea, but the ` 60 lakhs needed is a big amount for the people of Canacona. Along with this, is the government assuring the required land, electricity, water and other facilities and pre-requisites, questioned Dr Kurade.
Presently, there are no plots of Goa Industrial Development Corporation available to set up such industries, so will the government avail land for such industries is a question mark, he felt.

Former deputy sarpanch of Poinguinnim village panchayat and sitting panch, Mr Satish Poinginkar in his comments stated that as far as the settlement zones are concerned, this has been earmarked correctly. However, where cultivation and residential houses existed, nothing has been correctly marked and hence it is confusing.

Mr Poinginkar said that the panchayat had asked that about 2 lakh square metres of land be shown for settlements in case of natural calamities, but this has not been earmarked. This is significant considering the incidence of natural calamities in Canacona.
He further told that it was proposed to allot land for a road, a garden and a school in Kulti which has been rejected; the only demand satisfied here was allotment of land for a playground. He further noted that the area in the Buffer Zone should have been shown as 1 km and not the 50 metres shown in the plan.

The Loliem-Polem panchayat authorities and the Cotigao panchayat authorities are yet to receive the notification copy asked by them, and thus could not comment. The Gaondongrem VP on the other hand has no sarpanch and no deputy as both recently resigned from their respective posts.